‘Paddlers’ Guide to the Delaware River’ update released

Lewes author Gary Letcher has released an update to the fourth edition of his “Paddlers’ Guide to the Delaware River.”

The guide covers the non-tidal portion of the Delaware, one of the premier rivers for canoeing and kayaking in the United States, along 200 miles from Hancock, N.Y., to Trenton, N.J. “Early Dutch settlers called it ‘one of the most beautiful and pleasantest rivers in the world,’ and it still is,” said Letcher.

The guide details river access, rapids, natural features, communities, historic sites, outfitters and camping. Some of the people, places, events and controversies that have marked the river from earliest times are visited along the way.

Letcher noted that this release is not a full revision. “There have been changes on the river in the two years since the fourth edition came out that called for a refresh,” he said. “New, improved or closed access, loss of the Skinners Falls Bridge, and the passing of ‘Queen of the Delaware’ Ruth Jones had to be recognized.” Additional historic place names, and some other clarifications and corrections, are also noted. Letcher emphasized that the 2023 version remains mostly accurate, but books printed going forward will include the updates.

Letcher published the first edition of “Paddlers’ Guide” in 1985, after years of organizing river trips with New Jersey’s Youth Conservation Corps.

“Back then, there were hardly any facilities, and no good guidebook to help paddlers understand the landscape and history they were going through,” Letcher said. The fourth edition includes river maps specially prepared from a paddler’s point of view, identifying rapids and eddies by their historic names, with a waterproof version of the maps available. A companion website, DelawareRiverGuide.com, offers access details, color-coded real-time river conditions, and links to outfitters and important contacts.